Dave & Buster's

The first Dave & Buster's was opened in Dallas in 1982 by David Corriveau and James "Buster" Corley. Corley had previously operated a bar called "Buster's" in Little Rock, Arkansas, next door to a saloon and game parlor called "Cash McCool's", owned by Corriveau. After opening Dave & Buster's, the two operated as co-CEOs.

In 1989, Edison Brothers Stores purchased a majority ownership in the restaurant to finance further expansion into other cities.[5] Dave & Buster's was spun off from Edison Brothers, and went public with Andy Newman as chairman in 1995. By 1997 the chain had ten locations across the country.

D&B acquired nine Jillian's locations after Jillian's filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2004. Seven of these Jillian's locations were rebranded with the Dave & Buster's name, while two were closed following the acquisition. The company announced on December 8, 2005, that it would be acquired by private equity firm Wellspring Capital Management.[11] On July 16, 2008, Dave & Buster's Holdings Inc, filed with the SEC to again become a publicly traded company.[12] The company had set a date for the Initial public offering IPO of October 5, 2012.[13] However, it pulled out right before it opened. In June 2010, Oak Hill Capital Partners, in partnership with the company's management team, completed its acquisition of Dave & Buster's from Wellspring Capital Management.

In October 2014, Dave & Buster's launched a second IPO, selling 5.88 million shares at an offering price range of $16–18. The offering raised $94 million, to be used for debt repayments. Shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange using the symbol PLAY.

On March 20, 2020, Dave & Buster's temporarily closed all locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most locations have been reopening since May 2020.